1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-contained disposable chemiluminescent device and method where chemical components react with a fluorescer to produce light in the infrared range for medical light therapy. The present invention also relates to devices used to separate the chemicals needed for the production of chemiluminescent light until the medical device is activated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wound healing is a common and frequently challenging patient care issue, particularly when chronic ulcers occur. Factors that impair wound healing include diabetes, smoking, steroid therapy, poor nutrition, peripheral vascular disease and systemic infection. These processes reduce the available substrates and immune responses needed to heal a wound. In contrast, factors that enhance wound healing include strategies to increase local blood flow and oxygen content at the wound site.
Light therapy with infrared light is used to treat wounds and painful peripheral nerve disorders. It is hypothesized that infrared light stimulates the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), thereby improving local blood flow and oxygen content. It is also hypothesized that infrared light increases nitrous oxide (NO) levels in tissues. Nitrous oxide is a potent vasodilator (i.e. relaxes the muscles in the wall of arteries) and therefore results in increased local blood flow. Infrared therapy has been shown to be effective in improving wound healing especially in patients suffering from pre-existing vascular disease. Infrared therapy has been shown to improve tensile strength of wounds and to improve flap survivability.
There are currently several commercially available infrared sources for medical light therapy. These devices use electric infrared sources such as light emitting diodes or laser technology, which require a source of electricity to power either the infrared emitting light emitting diodes or laser. Also, lasers and other infrared sources are more cumbersome to use and transport, and are more expensive.
Thus, there remains a need for improved infrared therapy which avoids the drawbacks associated with light emitting diodes and lasers.